Councils warned of cyber security and accountability risks in adopting agentic AI
The Local Government Association (LGA) has said councils using agentic AI should be ambitious but risk aware in new guidance on adopting the technology.
Scottish councils welcome incorporation of European charter on local self-government into Scots Law
Local authorities in Scotland have welcomed the commencement of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2026, a new law which they say strengthens the democratic role of councils and embeds the principles of local self-government in Scotland’s legal framework.
Palantir and MOPAC resolve High Court procurement dispute over AI contract
A High Court procurement dispute between Palantir and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) over an AI contract has come to an end after both parties agreed to withdraw their allegations against each other.
Council criticised after former leader convicted of fraud joins planning committee
MPs have called upon the Government to intervene at Ashfield District Council after members appointed the local authority's former leader to the planning committee just a month after he had been convicted of fraud and tax evasion.
Judge orders adjournment of fact-finding hearing for third time following information sharing failures
A Deputy High Court Judge has stated his “regret” in having to allow the adjournment of a fact-finding hearing relating to two young children for the third time, after observing “significant failings” in information sharing within the local authority.
High Court to hear judicial review over permission for poultry farm expansion
The High Court has agreed to hear a claim that Braintree District Council approved the expansion of a poultry farm without sufficient environmental and animal-welfare scrutiny.
SEND debt to hit £10bn just 18 months after government bailout, say counties
New figures from the County Councils Network (CCN) show councils’ special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits are on track to reach a record £10.4bn by March 2028, despite a government bailout.
Minister rejects legislative route for West Surrey name change, tells shadow authority to seek legal advice
A request to amend a structural changes order to allow the future West Surrey unitary council to be renamed has been rejected by the Local Government Minister.
ICO reprimands Met Police over unlawful data sharing
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has been reprimanded by the Information Commission (ICO) after officers and staff unlawfully shared personal information through an unapproved third-party platform used to identify suspected shoplifters.
LGA warns against mayors overriding local planning authorities
New mayoral planning powers must "complement, rather than diminish," the role and mandate of local planning authorities, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
Judge finds provisions of Care Act and MCA to be “adequate protections” in case involving twin sisters with disabilities
The Court of Protection has ruled that the provisions of the Care Act and the Mental Capacity Act are “adequate protections” in a case involving twin sisters who lack capacity to make decisions, while directing that both require a Care Act advocate.
Two more councils launch legal challenges over reorganisation decisions
Kent County Council and East Sussex County Council have become the latest councils to announce judicial review proceedings over local government reorganisation (LGR) plans in their respective areas.
Councillor launches judicial review over standards decision following LGBTQIA+ event row
A member who was found to have breached Devon County Council’s code of conduct after complaining about an LGBTQIA+ event has launched a judicial review challenge over the decision.
Home Office commissions review of security protections for high-profile public figures including local representatives
The Government has launched a review into security arrangements for high-profile public figures – including locally elected representatives – amid concerns about politically motivated harassment and violence.
Insourcing Unit to deliver “biggest wave of insourcing in a generation”: Haigh
The Cabinet Office is establishing a dedicated central Insourcing Unit to support a manifesto commitment to deliver “the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation”, First Secretary of State Louise Haigh has said.
Delayed standards reform should be Government priority, new ethics watchdog says
The Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) has urged the Government to accelerate local government standards reform in its first annual letter to the Prime Minister reporting on the health of standards in public life.
Best Value guidance should strengthen role of monitoring officers, LLG and AMO say
The Government should strengthen the role of monitoring officers through changes to the Best Value Duty statutory guidance, with councils required to demonstrate their access to senior decision-makers and involvement in major policy decisions, Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) and the Association…
VWV bolsters local government practice with Goolden hire
Law firm VWV has strengthened its Government & Public Services team with the appointment of local government law specialist Jonathan Goolden as a partner based in its Birmingham office.
Northamptonshire town councils support proposed law on contaminated land
Three Northamptonshire town councils have joined to support a law that would require local authorities to monitor and pursue the remediation of contaminated land.
Latest Ministry of Justice data show 13% fall in deprivation of liberty applications and orders made under Mental Capacity Act 2005
The latest family court statistics have shown a 13% decrease in deprivation of liberty (DoL) applications and orders made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Government to press ahead with reforms to enforcement of council tax but promises to carry out new burdens assessment
The Government is to proceed with a package of reforms to the enforcement of council tax which it said would strengthen safeguards for taxpayers before formal enforcement action is taken, “while ensuring councils retain effective powers to collect council tax”.
Judiciary sets out five core principles in position statement on judicial use of AI
The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has stressed that AI tools must not determine a case’s outcome or displace judicial reasoning, analysis or discretion, in a position statement on judicial use of the technology.
Councils call for long-term funding as costs of supporting children in care rise by £1 billion a year
The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the Government to deliver “long-term adequate funding” for children’s social care, after analysis has revealed that spending on support for children in care is rising by £1 billion a year.
Organisational culture is key to avoiding governance failures, say LLG and AMO
Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) and the Association of Monitoring Officers (AMO) have told a consultation that ethical behaviour “is shaped less by the existence of a code itself and more by organisational culture”.
New inspection method welcomed by education providers, but staff wellbeing remains a concern: research
Education providers have welcomed Ofsted's new approach to school inspections, but workload and wellbeing remain a concern for some staff, independent research suggests.
National park authority concedes legal challenge over hydroelectric scheme
Eryri National Park Authority has agreed to quash its planning approval for a hydroelectric project after a judicial review challenge argued the decision failed to acknowledge the impact on a nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
LGA calls for sector-led support as alternative to sending commissioners into failing authorities
The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the Government to make sector-led improvement support an alternative to appointing commissioners to councils at risk of failing to meet the Best Value Duty.
Law Society consults on updates to Conveyancing Protocol for first time since 2019
The Law Society has launched a consultation on proposed updates to its Conveyancing Protocol.
Welsh Government launches single national safeguarding programme including new intelligence hub
The Welsh Government has unveiled a new national safeguarding programme aimed at strengthening protection for children, young people and adults at risk from abuse and neglect.
Council to pay £20,000 to settle human rights and equality case after severely disabled man “forced to drag himself across floor to use toilet”
The London Borough of Redbridge has agreed a £20,000 settlement with a man whose accommodation was so unsuitable that he was forced to drag himself across the floor to use the toilet and shower and access the only running water in his home.
New statutory guidance for councils on kinship care standards introduced
The Government has updated its statutory guidance on kinship care to reflect new requirements for local authorities, including a duty to consult on and publish a kinship local offer.
Reforms to allocations policy should ensure breadth of housing need is considered alongside homelessness: Chartered Institute of Housing
Changes to allocations policy alone cannot solve the wider pressures facing the housing system, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has warned in its submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s call for evidence.
Council leader calls for stronger powers to tackle derelict buildings
The leader of Stafford Borough Council has called for more powers to help local authorities tackle derelict buildings after expressing frustration at a “lengthy” prosecution the council took against the owners of a neglected town-centre building.
Campaigners, parents and charities urge retention of legal rights for children with special educational needs
The Government’s proposed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and education otherwise than at school (Eotas) reforms would "significantly reduce existing legal rights to enforceable education, health and care plans (EHCPs), parental choice of educational settings and independent…
City council launches legal action after primary school site sold off in conveyancing error
Birmingham City Council is taking legal action to recover ownership of a primary school site that was transferred as a result of a conveyancing mistake.
Campaigners send pre-action letter to county borough council over former landfill site
Campaigners who want a former landfill site declared contaminated have sent a pre-action protocol letter to Caerphilly County Borough Council.
Borough council appoints Browne Jacobson to advise on planning and highways matters for Universal theme park
Law firm Browne Jacobson has been appointed by Bedford Borough Council to advise on specific planning and highways matters associated with the 268-hectare Universal United Kingdom Resort.
Commissioner finds council failed to comply with Welsh language standards when consulting on school transport policy
Bridgend County Borough Council has been warned that it faces a county court order if it fails to comply with any of the requirements imposed by the Welsh Language Commissioner after a dispute concerning a school transport consultation.
Number of infants subject to care proceedings remains “concerningly high”, say researchers
Researchers have found a small reduction in the number of babies involved in care proceedings, but still far more than in 2007/08.
Developer fails in High Court challenge to refusal of permission for 33-home scheme
A developer has failed in a bid to overturn a planning inspector’s finding that there was no realistic possibility of highways connecting his site to the local network being built in the foreseeable future.
Public authorities failing to meet basic rights in South of Scotland, watchdog warns
The Scottish Government, councils and NHS Boards are failing to meet their "most basic obligations" regarding food, health and housing in the South of Scotland, a human rights watchdog has warned.
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales sees sharpest increase in complaints in its 20-year history
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales received more than 4,500 complaints in 2025-26, some 27% more than the previous 12 months, 47% more than three years ago, and three times as many as 20 years ago.
Prime Minister's electoral reforms must be "bold", administrators urge
Electoral administrators have urged the Prime Minister to “look wider than voting systems” and overhaul how elections are delivered, in response to newly announced plans to reform elections.
External auditors issue key governance recommendation over council cyber attack
Kensington and Chelsea Council has been told it must improve its IT systems and cyber security training after a cyber-attack last year disrupted several services and led to data theft.
Supreme Court hears appeal over data breach claims and threshold of seriousness
The Supreme Court is this week (7-8 October) hearing an appeal over whether a threshold of seriousness of harm applies to claims for damages following a data breach.
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Events
Certified Data Protection Officer Training (CDPO) - The Training Centre
19-10-2026 9:00 am
Online (live)
AI and Information Governance: Bridging Innovation and Compliance - Act Now
20-10-2026 10:00 am
Online (live)
Legal Apprenticeships: Navigating the New Landscape - Damar Training
20-10-2026 11:00 am
Online (live)
JCT Measured Term Contract 2016/2024 – Effective contract management and dispute avoidance - Devonshires
20-10-2026 2:00 pm
Online (live)
The Changing Landscape of ASB powers for Social Landlords under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 - Capsticks
21-10-2026
London
Getting ready for Hillsborough Law - DWF 
Conduct: What? When? How? - 42BR 
College Chambers Lecture Day 2026 
Public Sector Insights: When interests collide – Local Authorities as charity trustees - Blake Morgan
22-10-2026
Online (live)
How to Handle a Subject Access Request - Act Now
European Data Protection & Privacy Programme Management - DPO Ready - The Training Centre
26-10-2026
Online (live)
Short Term Lets - Ivy Legal
Law Enforcement Data Processing and Part 3 of the DPA 2018 - Act Now
29-10-2026 10:00 am
Online (live)
Subsidy Control in 15 – Automatically Unlawful Subsidies - Sharpe Pritchard
29-10-2026 12:00 pm
Online (live)
